The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-10
A woMAN's DOUBLE LIFE.


A correspondent of the New York Sun
tells the strange story of Mary Reynolds,
who died in Crawford county, Pa, few
years ago, whose mysterious double life
almost exactly parallels the plot OF one
OF Julian Hawthorne's recent novels.
Miss Reynolds was at the age of sixteen
young lady of superior accomplish
ments and Of vivacious nature. At
that age she was Frustrated with ner-
vous disease which left her blind, deaf and
speechless. She remained in that condi-
ton about month when she recovered
her sight and hearing. Her mind was as
strong as ever, and she had recovered her
physical health and strength, when, one
morning about three months after regain.
ing her sight and hearing, she awoke with
all recollection of everything she had ever
knew entirely gone. Her speech, how
ever had returned to her, but her utter
ances were imperfect and strangely con.
structed. Her mind was apparently as
sound as it had ever been, but she did
rot know her parents nor any of her rel
atives or friends. She could not name
single letter of the alphabet, and had for
gotten the use of written language. She
had always been famous housekeeper
but all her knowledge of domestic en-
ployment was gone. She did not know
the use Of broom, and kettle boiling
on the stove was source of wonder to
her. She remained in this strange con-
dition for over month, when she awoke
with all her original Consciousness. She
had passed out of her period of lost men,
ory during the night. ALI remembrance
OF the weeks she had been in that state
was gone. The period was an entire
blank to her. All the knowledge and at
tainments which she had forgotten dur
ing that period returned to her. While
she had been in the state of second ma
ture, as it might be called, various things
had been taught to her. She remained
in her natural condition only three weeks
when she lapsed into the other state again,
and as before forgot everything pertain
ing to her natural state. What she had
learned during her first lapse came back
to her in the second. The three weeks
lucid interval was blank to her.
These lapses continued at irregular in
tervals for period of twenty-five years.
Sometimes she would be in one condition
for months, and then change for months in
to the other. Sometimes the lapses would
be but for few hours. Most of the
time she remained in the second condition.
The changes always took place in her
sleep. In passing from her unnatural life
into her natural life no evidence of the
change was perceptible, but in changing
to the other way her sleep was such that
nothing could awaken her until the trans
position of natures had taken place. The
sleep was, in fact, almost suspended ami
nation, and frequently lasted twenty
four hours. As she had no conscious
ness when in one condition of ever hav-
ing been in the other, it was long before
she came to realize it through the state
ments and affirmations of friends. When
she came to fully appreciate the situa-
ton in which she was placed, she could
foretell days before the dreaded change
to the second condition came that it was
approaching, and at first she always babe
all her relatives and friends fearful
farewell, fearing that she might never,
awaken from the long, death.like sleep.
AS the years passed, however, and the
transitions became familiar to her, their
approach was no longer attended by the
solemn apprehensions.
In the course of time Miss Reynolds &C.
quired as much knowledge in her unnat-
ural state, as she had in her natural. Her
brother taught her to write in,the former.
He gave her sentence which he had writ
ten to copy. She took the pen and copied
the words, but wrote with her left hand,
and from right to left. A singular circum-
stance connected with her was that any
thing could be taught to her with greater
ease while she was in her lapsed condition,
and that in that condition she wrote
charming verses, gift she did not COM
mand in her natural state. Likewise she
was of a most imaginative nature In her
second condition, with a wit extremely
keen, and possessed remarkable CONVEX
sational powers. In her natural state
she was quist and thoughtful. She
formed most peculiar and strong dislikes
in her lapses against those who were her
best and most intimate friends in her
natural life. For more than twenty
years she was a teacher in the public
schools of Crawford county. For several
years before her death she had lived
without lapsing into her second, or un-
natural condition